Damen Shipyards showcases new Water Bus

At a recent event at its headquarters in Gorinchem, DAMEN Shipyards demonstrated its next generation composite Water Bus, the 2407, to an invited international audience. Built from FRP (fibre reinforced polymer) the new class will give operators reduced fuel consumption, less maintenance, no corrosion or fatigue problems, and a durable structure. Passengers will enjoy journeys at speeds of up to 21 knots that are safe, quiet and with minimal vibration. The Water Bus design is available in versions from 16-24 metres, capable of carrying from 20 to 120 passengers.

Designed as a slender catamaran, the Water Bus series is ideal for regular, intensive commuting operations on busy waterways. Its high manoeuvrability via a simple joystick control brings added safety on congested waterways and the twin hulls produce extremely low volumes of wash, boosting fuel efficiency and minimising it impact on other vessels. Passengers benefit from a spacious boarding platform and can enjoy unimpeded, panoramic views of their surroundings.

The vessel can be easily adapted to specific customer requirements and a wide range of configurations are available, from commuting and shuttle to sightseeing and dinner cruising. The high-quality vacuum infusion build process is both fast to execute and exceptionally strong, and power is provided by twin, forward facing, double-screw podded propulsion units with underwater exhausts to further cut down on noise and vibration.

As part of the event, guests were invited to experience the Water Bus and its features firsthand with a short trip on the Boven-Merwede waterway. The warm sunshine, pleasant surroundings and good company made it all the more enjoyable. Reactions from the guests included comments such as “wow, it’s fast”, “it’s so spacious” and “I really like the panoramic windows”. Other favourable remarks pointed out the high manoeuvrability, the comfortable seating, the high standard of the interior and how quiet it was when underway. Its modular construction, which allows the midsection to be of varying lengths, was also much commented on.

The Water Bus series will be built at Damen’s specialist composite facility at DAMEN Shipyards Antalya, in Turkey, with fast delivery times possible due to the construction methods and materials.

Jelle Meindertsma, DAMEN Sales Manager Benelux, commented: “The seasonal impact on demand for passenger transport by water is well known, and with the summer ahead of us our first Water Bus 2407 is already getting plenty of interest. Meanwhile a second unit is under construction in Antalya.”




Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 33 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 9,000 people worldwide. DAMEN has delivered more than 6,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 180 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept DAMEN is able to guarantee consistent quality.

Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale values and reliable performance. Furthermore, DAMEN vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.

Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts.

For nearly all vessel types DAMEN offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and the transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. DAMEN also offers a variety of marine components, such as nozzles, rudders, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.

In addition to ship design and shipbuilding, DAMEN Shiprepair & Conversion has a worldwide network of 17 repair and conversion yards with dry docks ranging up to 420 x 80 metres. Conversion projects range from adapting vessels to today’s requirements and regulations to the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,350 repair and maintenance jobs annually.